Store appearance is critical if you want to grow your business
95% of customers will decide whether to shop with you based on your stores exterior. A store’s physical appearance matters and it does so significantly, according to several recent consumer surveys. The data shows that consumers form an opinion of a business based on physical appearance, which heavily influences their decision on whether or not to shop with you.If you are seeing a decline in customers and sales, it may be time to re-evaluate your current store and see how you can improve it to grow revenue and customer count. So, what can you do to ensure your customers return, and new customers have a positive first impression? At the very least, you should evaluate the external and internal presentation of your store covering these key areas:
1. Store exterior including fascia
A dated store front can be off-putting. Take a walk outside your store and check what you can do to improve the physical appearance.Be sure to re-paint and clean your shop front, as it will give it a much-needed face-lift and catch the eye of potential customers. Also, always keep your promotional posters up-to-date and take down any old offers, as it will confuse customers and you want to show that you’re consistent and on top of all your promotional content – keep the frontage simple with 1 or 2 A Boards on display, making sure they are relevant.
2. Dated interior
The overall look inside your store will be remembered by customers, and will impact their perception of the quality of your products. It won’t matter how good the quality of your fresh and chilled range is, if you’re displaying them in old chillers – customers simply will not trust the product. In addition to this, put simple checks and routines in place for you and your staff to complete daily. This will ensure your customers have a good experience in a clean and well maintained environment.
3. Cluttered aisles and shelves
Too many stacks, busy stands on top of crammed and full of aisles will decrease access and puts customers off, especially if they have a pram or wheelchair and don’t have space to browse. A convenience store must be convenient; many customers need to get in and out as quickly as possible, in order to do so they need to be able to easily navigate where they can find the products they require.A common problem is to feature as many products as possible on promotional ends. This tends to confuse customers and detracts from the key deals, which helps promote the perception of your store having great prices and competitive deals. By removing a good proportion of duplicate lines and slow sellers, you can de-clutter your store and see more satisfied customers walking through the door – less is more!
4. Poor lighting
With business costs continually rising, it’s crucial for retailers to explore areas in which they can cut costs, and energy-efficient lighting is a sure-fire way to cut costs and improve your stores overall look and feel. LED lighting looks great and allows you to showcase your products by incorporating them into chillers, while smaller lights can be used to create a spotlight effect to highlight certain areas within your store, and with significantly cheaper running costs it doesn’t take long to see a return on your investment.Always make sure your products are lit correctly, so it’s highly visible to shoppers, but keep the light at the front of store and around the aisles soft and warm, so it’s inviting and not off-putting for customers.
